History

1859

Henry Tate went into partnership with John Wright, a sugar refiner based at Manesty Lane, Liverpool. Their partnership ended in 1869 and Tate’s two sons, Alfred and Edwin joined the business forming Henry Tate & Sons. A new refinery in Love Lane, Liverpool was opened in 1872.

1921

Henry Tate & Sons and Abram Lyle & Sons merged, between them refining around 50% of the UK’s sugar. A tactical merger, this new company would then become a coherent force on the sugar market in anticipation of competition from foreign sugar returning to its pre-war strength.

2010

The company sold its sugar business (EU operations), including the Lyle’s Golden Syrup brand, to American Sugar Refining, Inc (ASR) and ended its long association with refined sugar production.


1859
Henry Tate enters sugar business
Henry Tate

Henry went into partnership with John Wright, a sugar refiner based at Manesty Lane, Liverpool. Their partnership ended in 1869 and Tate’s two sons, Alfred and Edwin joined the business forming Henry Tate & Sons. A new refinery in Love Lane, Liverpool was opened in 1872.

1875
Tate introduces sugar cube to UK
Sugar

The sugar cube was invented by Jakob Christoph Rad, who patented it in 1843. Subsequently, Eugen Langen and David Martineau patented an improved method for producing sugar cubes in Germany in 1875. That same year, Henry Tate acquired exclusive rights to the technology and introduced cube sugar to the UK.

1878
Henry Tate & Sons opened Thames Refinery in Silvertown, London
Thames Refinery

Unlike today, at this time there were 74 refineries in the UK, many small businesses run by families such as the MacFies, Martineaus, Fairries, Walkers and Kerrs. It was in this competitive marketplace that Henry Tate and Abram Lyle started their respective sugar businesses, with Thames Refinery specialising in cube sugar.

1883
Abram Lyle & Sons opened Plaistow Refinery in London
Van

Abram Lyle & Sons started melting sugar at Plaistow Refinery, only a short distance from Henry Tate & Son's Thames Refinery. Lyle’s Golden Syrup was an instant hit and Lyle was soon selling a tonne a week.

1885
Lyle’s Golden Syrup first filled into tins
Golden Syrup

These iconic green and gold tins feature the world’s oldest branding. Originally made in small quantities and sold in wooden casks to employees and locals, as demand grew, casks were swapped for large dispensers found on the shelves of grocery stores. Today, more than a million of these same tins leave Plaistow each month.

1906
A E Staley Manufacturing Company founded (Decatur, Illinois)
A E Staley

American entrepreneur Augustus Eugene (Gene) Staley was buying bulk starch cheaply, repackaging it under his own Cream Starch label, and selling it for a good profit. When his suppliers realised that he was serious competition, they joined together to cut off his supply of raw materials. Staley then responded by setting up the A E Staley Manufacturing Company.

1910
Marquis formed (United Molasses)
Marquis

Marquis, a cattle feed importer, was set up in Liverpool by Sir Michael Kroyer Kielberg from Denmark. The company began shipping molasses in bulk, using a custom-built 3,000-ton storage tank in Hull.

In 1925 Kielberg moved to London and renamed his company United Molasses. As he sourced new, low-cost molasses, he needed a longer-range, faster fleet, so launched the Athel Line with 16 vessels. This fleet saw many losses to enemy action during World War II.

In 1937 Kielberg sold his Liverpool sugar refinery to Tate & Lyle and in return was invited to become a co-investor in the company’s new West Indies raw sugar venture. This was the beginning of a prosperous relationship between the two companies.

Kielberg retired in 1953, and ten years later United Molasses was bought by Tate & Lyle.

1912
A E Staley began processing corn (Decatur, Illinois)
corn

Staley’s business made a range of food and industrial ingredients from starches and cereal sweeteners with different functional properties.

1921
Tate & Lyle merger
sugar

Rival businesses, Henry Tate & Sons and Abram Lyle & Sons merged, between them refining around 50% of the UK’s sugar. A tactical merger, this new company would then become a coherent force on the sugar market in anticipation of competition from foreign sugar returning to its pre-war strength.

1935
FT-30 index created
FT-30

Tate & Lyle was one of the original founder constituents of the FT-30 index and remains the only constituent from the original index still listed today.

1939
Thames Refinery becomes largest cane sugar refinery in the world
Thames Refinery

Producing around 14,000 tons a week, it became necessary to build a new pan house at Plaistow to cope with the huge increase in output. It was an impressive building, standing at 180ft high (about 55m), but unfortunately, soon after became a target for the Luftwaffe.

 

1949
Birth of ‘Mr Cube’
Sugar

Clement Attlee’s Labour government pursued a policy of nationalisation for key UK industries in 1949 and the British sugar industry (Tate & Lyle), was included in their plan.

A board meeting at Tate & Lyle on February 10th marked the beginning of a fierce campaign to thwart the Government's plans. Mr Cube, a cartoon character drawn by artist Bobby St John Cooper spearheaded the campaign.

Mr Cube became a household name, appearing on sugar packets, in the press and even traveling the country with the ‘Speakers’ Team’ made up of Tate & Lyle employees. Mr Cube helped to present the Company's successful case for continued independence.

1965
Tate & Lyle bought United Molasses
Molasses

With the acquisition of United Molasses (originally named Marquis), Tate & Lyle became the world leader in molasses trading.

1976
Discovery of sucralose
sucralose

Sucralose, the no-calorie sweetener was discovered by Tate & Lyle in partnership with researchers at Queen Elizabeth College, University of London. Tate & Lyle went on to develop the product in partnership with McNeil Nutritionals LLC (a Johnson & Johnson company) to create SPLENDA® Sucralose.

1983
Investment in Portuguese sugar producer, Alcântara
Alcântara

Alcântara dates back to 1890 when John Peter Hornung began exploring sugar cane production in Mozambique and set up the 'Companhia do Assucar de Mocambique'. Mozambique was a Portuguese colony, so Hornung decided that Lisbon was the right place to build a refinery. ‘Refinaria Colonial’ in Alcântara, was opened in 1909 by King Manuel II and his uncle, Don Afonso and produced around 400 tons a week.


By 1950, Refinaria Colonial had become Sidul (Sociadade Industrial do Ultramar). Mozambique gained independence in 1975, and in 1980 a new company, Alcântara – Sociedade de Empreendimentos Açucareiros, SA, was formed which owned Sidul, the Lisbon refinery. In 1989 Alcântara bought Sores (Sociedade de Refinadores de Santa Iria, SA) and Sidul and Sores merged to form Alcântara Refinarias Açucares, SA.
 

The Sidul refinery closed in 1994 and all production was moved to Santa Iria. Today the refinery continues to make Portugal’s two famous retail sugar brands, Sidul and Sores.

1988
Majority acquisition of A E Staley Manufacturing Co. and increase in Amylum stake
A E Staley Manufacturing Co

A prosperous year, Tate & Lyle acquired 90% of the A E Staley Manufacturing Co. and increased its stake in Amylum to 63%.

 

1998
Acquisition of citric acid business, Haarmann & Reimer
citric acid

After acquiring Haarmann & Reimer, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, Tate & Lyle became the world's leading producer of citric acid.

 

2000
Acquisition of remaining minority interests in A E Staley and Amylum
Strawberry drink

Tate & Lyle acquired the outstanding minority interests of both companies to establish our worldwide sweeteners and starches business.

2004
Partnership with DuPont to produce Bio-PDO™
Bio-PDO™

Tate & Lyle and DuPont announce a new joint venture in the US to produce Bio-PDO™, a textile polymer ingredient made from renewable resources for use in their fabric, DuPont™ Sorona®. Made from renewable resources, Bio-PDO™ replaces petrochemicals, and its production uses less energy with fewer emissions than synthetic production methods.

2004
Tate & Lyle took responsibility for the manufacture of sucralose
SPLENDA® Sucralose

In April 2004 Tate & Lyle realigned its agreements with McNeil Nutritionals. Under the new agreement, Tate & Lyle became the sole manufacturer of SPLENDA® Sucralose, and responsible for global sales of the product as an ingredient to food and beverage manufacturers, while McNeil Nutritionals owned the SPLENDA® trademark and became responsible for global sales and marketing of SPLENDA® No-Calorie Sweetener tabletop and food service products to consumers.

2005
Acquisition of Cesalpinia Foods
Yoghurt

Italian company, Cesalpinia was established in the 1960s as a producer of natural flavours and later diversified into manufacturing and marketing natural gums and stabilisers.

2006
Lyle’s Golden Syrup tin named world’s oldest branding
Golden Syrup

Lyle’s Golden Syrup tin design is named by the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest branding. The green and gold Victorian-style design has hardly changed since first produced in 1885 although the tin was made of strong cardboard during the war when metal was in short supply. Abram Lyle’s strong religious beliefs are the reason why the tin features a quotation from the Bible: "Out of the strong came forth sweetness".

2006
Acquisition of Continental Custom Ingredients
Building

Tate & Lyle acquired US speciality food ingredients company Continental Custom Ingredients (CCI). CCI was founded in 1975, and became a recognised leader in dairy stabilisers and emulsifier systems, working closely with customers to develop ingredient systems for the North American market.

2006
Launch of Tate & Lyle Ventures
Simon Barnes & David Atkinson

With an investment of £25 million over a five-year period, Tate & Lyle set up a wholly-owned venture fund, Tate & Lyle Ventures. The fund invests in start-ups and expansion-stage companies that support Tate & Lyle’s strategic growth focus to deliver next-generation food and industrial ingredients.

2007
Official opening of SPLENDA® sucralose plant in Singapore
Singapore

A new Sucralose plant opened on Jurong Island in Singapore.

2007
Acquisition of 80% interest in G. C. HAHN & Co.
G. C. HAHN & Co.

Tate & Lyle acquired an 80% holding in German speciality food ingredients group G. C. Hahn & Co (Hahn).

Hahn was founded in 1848 as a privately-owned company. A recognised leader in dairy stabiliser systems, Hahn works closely with customers across the world to develop customised ingredient solutions. Its headquarters and primary operations are located in Lübeck, Germany, and it also has production operations in the UK and Australia, and sales offices in 22 countries.

2007
Opening of DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio-Products Bio-PDO™ plant in Loudon, Tennessee
Bio-PDO™

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLC, an equally-owned joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle, opened its new facility to produce 1,3-propanediol (Bio-PDO™) from renewable resources.

2007
Sale of five European starch plants
European starch plants

Tate & Lyle sold five European starch plants (part of the Amylum business) to Syral SAS (a subsidiary of Tereos of France).

2007
Opening of R&D Laboratory in Shanghai
lab

Tate & Lyle opened a satellite Research & Development facility in Shanghai, China, specialising in beverage, dairy and bakery applications.

2008
Opening of Innovation Centre in Lille, France
lab

Centre was opened to develop new and innovative ingredients with clinically proven health benefits in the fields of weight management, digestive health, vitality and healthy ageing.

2009
G. C. HAHN & Co (Hahn) starts trading under the Tate & Lyle name
G. C. HAHN & Co

Hahn joined Cesalpinia Food and Tate & Lyle’s stabliser businesses in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, which were already trading under the Tate & Lyle name.

2010
Sale of sugar and molasses businesses
sugar business

The company sold its sugar business (EU operations), including the Lyle’s Golden Syrup brand, to American Sugar Refining, Inc (ASR) and ended its long association with refined sugar production.

The “Tate & Lyle Sugar” name was licensed to ASR to ensure the familiar “Tate & Lyle” brand remains on supermarket shelves. Later that year, the global molasses and storage business was sold to W&R Barnett Ltd.

2010
Commissioning of the new European polydextrose line
sugar

Tate & Lyle commissioned a new STA-LITE® Polydextrose line, the first of its kind in Europe, at its plant in Koog, the Netherlands, in response to increasing demand for functional food ingredients. STA-LITE® Polydextrose, a soluble fibre, is a premium, low-calorie bulking agent used to provide body and texture in reduced-calorie, no-added-sugar and / or high-fibre foods.

2011
Global Shared Services Centre opens in Łódź, Poland
 Łódź, Poland

New Global Shared Services Centre opened to provide all back-office functions for finance, payroll and IT.

2013
Acquire Biovelop
Cereal

Tate & Lyle bought Biovelop, a Swedish manufacturer of oat beta glucan. Now known as Tate & Lyle Oat Ingredients, the business uses a unique chemical-free technology to manufacture high-quality oat beta glucan, a soluble fibre with widely approved health claims.

2014
Acquisition of Winway Biotechnology Co Ltd, China
Winway Biotechnology Co Ltd,

Winway Biotechnology Nantong is leading producer of polydextrose fibre. It became our third polydextrose facility globally, in addition to existing lines in the Netherlands and the US.

2014
Joint Venture formed with leading Brazilian stabiliser business Gemacom Tech Indústria e Comércio S.A.
Gemacom Tech

In December 2014, Tate & Lyle and Gemacom Tech, leading domestically-owned stabiliser business in Brazil, have formed a joint venture called Tate & Lyle Gemacom Tech.

2015
Tate & Lyle re-aligns European Eaststarch business
Eaststarch business

The company acquired full ownership of the speciality-focused plant in Slovakia. This strengthened our Speciality Food Ingredients business whilst reducing our European Bulk Ingredients footprint by exiting the Bulk Ingredients plants in Bulgaria, Turkey and Hungary.

2018
Investment in Sweet Green Fields
Investment in Sweet Green Fields

Tate & Lyle entered into an agreement to acquire a 15% equity holding in Sweet Green Fields, becoming the exclusive global distributor of their portfolio. Sweet Green Fields is one of the largest privately held, fully integrated global stevia ingredient companies.

2018
Full ownership of Gemacom
Gemacom building close-up

In December 2018, we acquired the remaining shares in our Brazilian joint venture, Tate & Lyle Gemacom, and now own 100% of the company. This business enhances our strong position in stabilisers, and in the diary category, in Brazil.

2019
Sale of oat ingredients business
Aerial shot of Kimstad site, Sweden

In March 2019 we completed the sale of our oat ingredients business in Kimstad, Sweden, to Swedish agricultural cooperative Lantmännen.

2019
Tate & Lyle turns 160
Celebrating 160 years of Tate & Lyle

In 2019 we celebrate our 160th anniversary in the world of ingredients. From humble beginnings in a factory in Liverpool to now serving customers in 30 countries from over 70 locations, our desire to improve lives for generations has only grown stronger.

2020
Acquired Sweet Green Fields
Sweet Green Fields

In December 2020, we acquired Sweet Green Fields (SGF), a leading global stevia solutions business. This acquisition followed a three year partnership: In 2017, we became the exclusive distributor of SGF’s stevia-based ingredients and solutions, then in 2018 we acquired a 15% stake in the business, which we extended to full ownership in 2020.

2021
Acquisition of 85% shareholding of Chaodee Modified Starch (CMS) Co, Ltd
Chaodee Modified Starch

In February 2021 we acquired an 85% shareholding of Chaodee Modified Starch (CMS) Co., Ltd, a well-established tapioca modified food starch manufacturer based in Thailand. The acquisition extends our presence in speciality tapioca-based texturants and establishes a dedicated production facility in the main tapioca region of eastern Thailand. This acquisition enables us to offer a broader range of solutions to meet the need for better tasting and clean label food in categories including dairy, bakery, snacks, noodles, soup, sauces and dressings, as well as expand our manufacturing footprint in the Asia Pacific region.

2022
Sale of Primary Products business
Primient logo

The Primary Products business (bulk sweeteners, acidulants, industrial starches, personal care, co-products, ethanol) was rebranded as Primient on 1 March 2022. It remained wholly owned by Tate & Lyle until the agreed sale of a controlling interest to KPS closed on 1 April 2022. Visit Primient.com here >

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purple, pink and white smoothie on wooden table surrounded by berries

At a glance

Tate & Lyle is a vibrant, global and hardworking environment. Our purpose is Transforming Lives Through the Science of Food and all our people have an important part to play in making this happen.